It's a replica of the No. 43 Plymouth Belvedere in which Petty scored 10 back-to-back wins during the 1967 NASCAR stock racing season and captured 27 of the 48 races held that year is the grand prize.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Petty’s historic season, someone is going to turn a key, and win a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere that mirrors the No. 43 car, right down to the 43 that was hand-painted onto the replica by the artist who painted the original.

In an attempt to stamp out cramped compacts, break the sedan-buying habit and eliminate Dullsville, Dodge announced the great Dodge Rebellion, and hired Pam Austin to be the spokes model

Company executives believed that by late 1967 Pam Austin the sex symbol was overshadowing the cars, their new features, and her role as Dodge Girl.

So they went in a new direction and began a new ad campaign: "Dodge Fever" would rule advertising in 1968 and Austin would be replaced by Joan Anita Parker.

Before Ms. Parker became the Dodge “Fever Girl”, she previously acted in a number of stage productions and had a supporting role in the movie Batman.

During this era, one of the best things that could happen to an aspiring young actress was to get a leading role in a television commercial. The representatives of the Dodge advertising campaign were seeking a young woman who was personal, talented, intelligent, and attractive. The candidate had to quickly grasp what was expected of her and could be someone that worked well with other people while carrying out her part for introducing the new Dodge line of vehicles. When the casting call opened, over 400 candidates were present for audition.

By the end of the model year 1969, Ms. Parker decided to move onto other aspiring challenges and

Shortly after they found gold with the Dodge Fever Girl, Joan Parker got tired of all the running around and endless meet and greets. She married an L.A. real estate agent and moved there.

By 1970, Ms. Cheryl Miller became the new Dodge girl.Cheryl was born and raised in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California. In 1966, she graduated from UCLA with a master's degree in music. She also studied voice, classical guitar, and composition at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was also the actress in a television series called Daktari.

“I’ve been a collector for 40 years, but six years ago I sold a company for $100 million and started investing seriously. If I buy the right cars, they’re a currency hedge; if the currency is down in one country, I’ll buy there. If it’s strong in another, I’ll sell there.”

Byrnes explains that seven to 10 years ago it was not economically viable to restore most E-types, due to the cost of the parts and the small matter of 3,000 hours of work.

Choosing a location where workers are skilled and dedicated, but labour rates are a fraction of those in the world’s main centres of classic car enthusiasm, meant that Byrnes could get his burgeoning collection restored well but cheaply, commissioning restorations in batches for economies of scale. So he sought out a tax free zone, former Clark Air Force Base in the PI.

With labour rates of up to £100 per hour in the UK and most of Europe, and not much less in the US, five years ago a car bought for £25,000 would cost about £225,000 to restore, he says – but it would only sell for £125,000.

The company's chief executive, Jason Lemberg, came to BMT after running the restoration department at Symbolic Motors of California, where his restorations twice won “best in class” at Pebble Beach.

“The workers have a real passion and attention to detail,” he says. “There’s a worldwide shortage of good metalworkers and the locals are incredible.

I was taking a moment to kick back and enjoy other peoples blogs, and discovered it has been a long time since I did that. And a lot of bloggers and car and bike website people have given up.

I went to Lowtech, who was doing over 150 posts a year, now does about 15.

So I looked over at the blogorama list of recommended sites at Lowtech..

Speedseekers Still posting
Le Container Still posting
The Selvedge Yard Still posting
THE LAST DON only 3 posts this year
Working Class Kustoms Still posting
Wheels Are Everything Still posting
Flake Kings Still posting
Stylish Kustoms Still posting
ScooterMcRad's Whatchaworks similar to lowtech, was over 150, now, barely 11 a year average
PLANET MOTHERFUCKERS Gave up in 2014
OldGoldGarageCo Gave up in 2015
The Digital Milk Gave up in 2014
Autoculture Gave up in 2013
Los Boulevardos one post this year. Probably gave up
Sugar City Speed Shop not even online anymore
Kustomgonzo not even online anymore
Smokin Blog Gave up in 2015

So, 1/2 the sites in LowTechs Blogorama gave up. Lowtech either doesn't notice, or doesn't care that it's favorites list is only 1/2 alive.

What happened? Did the glam wash out when Jesse James packed up and blew away like a tumbleweed to Texas, and the other chopper show American Choppers shut down due to bankruptcy? American Hot Rod shut down either due to bloatation or when Boyd died, but once the Discovery Channel shows ended, so did a lot of blogging. Maybe it's just coincidence, but when the inspirations and constant attention to the tv show world went away, it looks like the bloggers packed it up and went away too.

An employee parking lot turned motor-home park made up of pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.

The lot was created at least a decade ago as an airport-sponsored program offering airline employees a place to rest before heading to their next destination. Today, however, the airport is actively seeking ways to re-appropriate the space where the community is situated and has slowly, and steadily, reduced the number of its residents.

The next destination for many of the lot’s residents is unknown. As a result of pursuing their dream of working in the aviation industry, with its transient lifestyle, many of the parking lot’s residents are estranged from their families. They are largely a community of people living alone, together — and most now consider the lot “home.”

Thursday, October 06, 2016

The Shell 4000 was the worlds longest, most grueling rally in the 60's, and the only FIA sanctioned one in North America.

For the rally cars, Chrysler chose the 413 with 360 horsepower and a simple four barrel carb backed with the Torqueflite three speed automatic transmission. Both cars were two door hardtops and set up by Carl Prueths for rally racing with complete chassis protection using 3/4 inch welded steel plate on items deemed to be in danger including shock absorbers, engine oil pan, the K frame cradle, rear axle carrier and the leaf springs. A roof lamp was mounted providing high power wattage to light up the road ahead and help set up the car for turns. Even the tires and wheels were heavy duty. The 300 usually ran 14 inch rims with nice cushy road tires. These rally 300s came with 15 inch weld reinforced steel wheels with special 9.00x 15 inch Goodyear non expanding braced tread tires imported from Belgium.

The drivers were Gene Henderson with Fred Browne as navigator and the second car had Terry Sumner and Roger Bohl as navigator. Both cars were painted white with blue stripes in the center.

Starting in Vancouver, to Calgary, Regina, Winnepeg, along the north shore of Lake Superior, Chrysler proved that if soundly designed and properly equipped, even a Pentastar Panzer will be a competitive rally car..

Jeez, I just realized, Not many people are even going to recall what a Wildcat was... a big ol Buick, a land yacht eventually, but it began as an Invicta, and died as a Centurion. I've seen about 4 or 5 body and tail section styles, this '65 was the best looking, and the 4 pipes are perfectly located to set off the lines and curves of the tail, the bumper, and horizontal trim around the gas cap.

I haven't seen a new thing from Michael Ulman in about 7 or 8 years http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/03/making-car-and-chopper-art-pieces.html was the first thing that brought him fame on the internet... he is REALLY good at found parts put together to make cycles or car sculptures